Clarrie Murphy, OAM

Clarence John Murphy was one of the pioneers of the Australian Credit Union Movement. He was instrumental in the establishment of the credit union at St. Jerome, Punchbowl, registered in February 1949. Together with Keith Young, in 1958 he was an Australian World Extension Student who visited Canada, the USA and Fiji to study credit union and league operation.

He was appointed first Manager of the NSW Credit Union League Co-Operative Ltd in 1962 following 14 years voluntary work for credit unions. In 1967 he resigned to take up a position with the National Co-operative Insurance Society and re-joined the Board of the Punchbowl Credit Union.

He was the editor of Federation Newsletter, 1971 – 1973, and Secretary of the management Committee of the Co-Operative Federation of NSW Ltd in 1973. He was employed by Earlwood Credit Union and by 1975 he had moved to the Railways Credit Union. He was awarded the medal of the order of Australia in 1988 for 'services to the development of the credit union movement.'

Clarrie Murphy provided an oral history interview for the credit union movement in 1990 when he was interviewed by Richard Raxworthy.